1. Higher Ed Story Ideas – Fall ‘17
Paul Fain
News editor, Inside Higher Ed
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@paulfain

2. Slumping enrollments
National Student Clearinghouse Research Center:

3. How are colleges coping ?
Community colleges: Adding new programs (81%), boosting transfer (72%), marketing (65%), adding online (62%)
For-profits: Have they reached the bottom?
Impact of federal deregulation
Four-year institutions: Merit aid, tuition discounting
Competition for students
Financial sustainability?

4. Financial Crunch
Tuition discounting: Rate at private colleges is almost 50 percent

5. Discounting, Merit Aid & Debt
Data sources:
National Association of College and University Business Officers
NCES College Navigator (average net price)
Electronic Municipal Market Access (bond data)
Delta Cost Project
Merit & need-based grant aid:
States Fund More Student Aid
Kentucky’s Need-Based Aid Gamble
Turning Down Top Choices
The Troubling Use of Merit Aid

6. Campus Unrest
Options when students participate in white supremacy/nationalism demonstrations
Student conduct policies and protests – are colleges changing them?
Public v. private distinction
Legal basis for shutting down campus events – lecture halls v. outdoor events
Dealing with student protests and discomfort with controversial ideas – free speech issue
Texas A&M statement: “Linking the tragedy of Charlottesville with the Texas A&M event creates a major security risk on our campus. Additionally, the daylong event would provide disruption to our class schedules and to student, faculty and staff movement (both bus system and pedestrian).”

7. Job Training v. “College”
Growing doubts about role and value of college:
Among Republicans
White working class
Overall, more than half of Americans believe a college degree (2yr or 4yr) is not necessary for a well-paying job, despite evidence to contrary. Half of college grads have regrets & would change their major, degree pursued or college attended.

8. Job Training v. “College”
Higher education is the federal job training system

9. Changing incentives from feds & states
Apprenticeships get boost
Bipartisan interest in non-college training
EQUIP and new pilot in ‘Forever’ GI Bill
Short-term Pell Grants on the way?
State aid aimed at short-term certificates
Expanding support for dual-enrollment programs
Concerns about tracking?

10. How colleges are responding
Ramping up and rebranding CTE/vocational offerings
Image problems and severe gender wage gaps persist in career fields
Partnering with employers and job brokers
Alternative credentialing?
Using Burning Glass and other tools to study the job market
Sources: National Skills Coalition, local workforce boards, Jobs for the Future, Business Roundtable, New America’s Center on Education & Skills, Georgetown’s Center on Education & the Workforce, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation